


Rhapsody in Scarlet

by ironqueen



Category: Avengers (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Uncanny Avengers
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2013-12-30
Packaged: 2017-12-28 20:32:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/996259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironqueen/pseuds/ironqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shots on Wanda Maximoff. My intention is to have her interact with many different Marvel characters; I’ll update the tags as their chapters are posted. All one-shots are set post Disassembled unless stated otherwise.</p><p>Chapter 3: New Year's Eve is up</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aunt Wanda

Wanda was on her way to watch a musical on Broadway when she felt a disturbance in the fabric of reality. Remembering Doctor Strange had recently entered a long magical coma, it fell to her to take care of what problems arose, so, without a care for her evening dress _(Jan would kill her later!)_ , she immediately used her magic to go to the source of that anomaly. What wasn’t her surprise to find the FF already there and, completely lost on how to deal with threats that defied scientific understanding, beyond grateful for the unexpected help, and the problem was quickly solved.

Scott was kind enough to invite her for a cup of coffee, but sensing Jennifer still resented her for attacking the Avengers a couple of years ago, and Darla Deering’s hints of jealousy, Wanda thought it best to say her goodbyes and just get back to the Mansion. She was too exhausted to even consider her previous plans. On her way out, she passed by an open door through which she could see bright colors coming from a television, as a blonde blur ran toward her and hugged her legs.

“Aunt Wanda!”

It had been years since she had last seen Pietro’s daughter; she was frankly surprised, but pleased, that the child had recognized her so quickly. Kneeling to Luna’s eye-level, Wanda asked her about her Inhuman family, what she had been doing lately, how was life with the Future Foundation. At that last inquiry, she saw her niece flinch, so she proceeded to subtly give her advices on how to interact with the other kids, which the girl took with reluctant attention. _She truly is her father’s daughter…_ And then she asked the question Wanda had subconsciously dreaded for the past ten minutes.

“We have a class on other superhero teams, and Ms. Walters told us about the Young Avengers, and she said that Billy and Tommy are on the team. I don’t understand, why do they look like grownups if they’re younger than me, and why are their last names different?”

Wanda felt a sudden cold creeping up her spine as the old pain returned. How could she explain something like that to an eight-year-old? How much did the child even know of all she had done? But before she could say anything, she felt Luna touch her face.

“Why are you sad, Aunt Wanda? I could take away the sadness, but grandpa says I shouldn’t do it.”

“He… he said that? When?”

“A while ago, when father used the Terrigen Mists.” Pietro had talked to her about it, filled with regrets, just before the war between Avengers and X-Men. “You feel a lot like him, as sad and angry as him.”

That statement shocked her even further. When she came out of her stupor enough to realize what Luna was doing, Wanda put her hands on her niece’s shoulders and looked at her seriously. “Magneto is right; you shouldn’t change people’s feelings. Both the good and the bad things that happen to us make us who we are. What is more, you should be careful when you use your powers – people don’t like to have others see what is inside them, and some of them… some of them hide darkness so deep that no child should ever know it.” Taking a deep breath, she continued. “As to your cousins… My magic accidentally did something to them that caused both Thomas and William to be reborn eighteen years ago and raised by different families. That’s why they are now older than you and no longer have the Maximoff name.” She knew this was not an accurate explanation, of course, but it was the best she could manage while keeping it simple. “Do you understand?” 

Luna nodded. Hesitating for just a moment, she hugged Wanda once again. “I’m sorry, Aunt Wanda, but… you’re still sad. I know what will make you feel better.”

And that was how Wanda Maximoff found herself unexpectedly enjoying her evening by eating popcorn as she watched anime with her nice and Adolf Impossible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing this one months ago (the part with Adolf was added later, of course), when it was clear Luna was joining the FF. And then I realized I had no idea how to write a child, so the actual dialogue ended up shorter than I intended. Still, what I really wanted was for them to talk about Wanda’s twins and for Luna to use her powers, and I’m happy with that part. And yeah, Luna is 8 here because I’m tired of her being constantly de-aged so she’s eternally 6.
> 
> If you have any requests for characters and situations, I take prompts, just mention them in the comments or send me a message on Tumblr (visenyadayne). The main pairings I write are Wanda/Steve and Wanda/Simon, but I'm willing to try writing other things, except for Vision.


	2. Confrontation with Simon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written months ago (so let’s just pretend the current Uncanny Avengers arc has never happened), as the result of a challenge my friend made. His exact words were: “I want you to write the saddest and sappiest Steve-Wanda-Wonder Man one-shot you can think of. Pure soap-opera material.” It ended up too soap-operaish for my taste, that’s why the delay in publishing, but my friend insisted the challenge would only be complete if eyes other than ours read it, unadulterated, so… I’m really sorry for this, but also strangely proud of the result. Alex, you bastard – this one is for you.

“You are in love with Steve. That was why you rejected my advancements that day. Why do you keep lying, Wanda?”

She expected Wonder Man to confront her sooner or later, but never quite in this overt and dramatic manner. That he knew about her feelings for Steve troubled her more than she would have guessed. Of course he knows, you idiot. Who doesn’t, when you’ve been stealing glances at him as frequently as you can since you moved back to Avengers Mansion? Wanda braced herself and, putting her best impassive face on, decided honesty would be the best route out of this. Simon deserved as much.

“I… You are correct, Simon. I love him.”

She saw the pain those words caused in him and cursed herself for having to say this, but before she could add anything, he exclaimed. “Then why the theater, Wanda? Jan told me you had a crush on him the moment you first joined the Avengers, did it ever even go away? Did you think of him when we were together?” Wanda felt like slapping him for that, but before she could, she saw realization at what he had said transform his face into regret. She interrupted him before he could add any apologies.

“You are right. That never went away, not when I was with you, not even when I was married to the Vision. But you are mistaken believing that I lied that day in your room, or that he was on my mind during any of my other relationships.” Sighing, she sat down, tired just by thinking about this. “I’ve been in love with that man for twelve years, Simon, and not once did I have any indication that he thinks of me as anything other than a friend and a teammate. Not one day goes by without a dull pain to remind me of that fact. Do you really think I would stop my life for something that can never be?”

She could see the emotions flickering on his face, but once again continued before she changed her mind. “No, that wasn’t it. I just…” It was a strange relief to finally talk about this with someone. And then, she broke down. “Dammit, Simon, look at how many lives I’ve destroyed! How can I seek my personal happiness after everything I’ve done?” 

She was sobbing at that point and Simon, dear Simon, put aside his own hurt to gather her in his arms and offer what comfort he could in the face of the memories of the horrors she had unleashed. “You will find redemption, Wanda, I know you will. The Unity Squad will make a real difference as soon as we’re able to get better organized.” He kissed the top of her head, rubbing gentle circles on her back.

“The Unity Squad is a fallacy; the sooner we accept this, the better. And this is not about redemption, about making me feel better about myself. This is about fixing the wrongs I did, helping the people that have suffered, or are still suffering, from my actions! And how can I do that, when I don’t even know where to start? Without the life force, how can I fix anything?”

“With our help. No, listen.” He interrupted, as she was about to protest, lifting her chin so she would look at him. “You can’t do this alone. You said so yourself that day – you need friends more than anything, you need our help. For every person that unjustly resents you for something you couldn’t control, there are others who love you just as much. I love you, and I’m here for you in whatever capacity you need. We will do this together, Wanda, whatever it takes.”


	3. New Year's Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers throw a New Year's Eve party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I played a bit with the timeline to try to fit what I think might have happened with Wanda in a year, always considering how weirdly flexible comic-book time is. And poor girl, that was not an easy year.

_Avengers Mansion; December 31 2013, 11:15 p.m._

After a most turbulent year, the Avengers Unity Squad, now finally a team in its own right, had collectively decided a celebration was much needed – and what better way to do that than by throwing a party in New Year’s Eve? Janet Van Dyne immediately took charge of the preparations; she loved her friends, but they simply didn’t have the taste or ability she did. Invited were all the living Avengers, past and present, including some of the X-Men from the Jean Grey School.

 _And here we are now._ Wanda Maximoff thought, as she sipped a glass of Merlot. The Van Dyne parties were famous for being perfect in all aspects, until everyone was drunk enough to make it utterly wild. Right now, they were still at the first moment, and Wanda never ceased to be amazed by how Jan could keep things elegant when Hercules was parading about shirtless and Thor always had Mjolnir on one hand, and an impossibly big mug of ale on the other.

As Wanda looked around the room at the people chatting and dancing, she thought back to what a messy year this had been for her. When it began, she was about to marry Victor Von Doom until she was rescued by the sons she didn’t know existed. _The sons that have done their best to avoid you ever since,_ a tiny voice reminded her, only to be promptly shut. For the next few months, she tried to find her way in life and rediscover who she was, until, while battling MODOK, she ran into Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman, who then took her to a most uncomfortable meeting, in the same Mansion where she now resided, that only reminded her of how much she didn’t belong with the Avengers anymore, of how much things would never be the same again. Depressed and alone, she retreated back to her apartment to live in isolation, until Pietro convinced her to move back with him until she was better, at least. Soon came August, and the arrival of the Phoenix Force. By the end of that strife, with the aid of Hope Summers, Wanda had finally managed to fix a small part of what she had ruined by uttering those three words years before, and then Steve offered her the promise of doing much more for mutants by joining his Unity Squad. She was thankful for his giving her that opportunity, and knew he had formed this team nearly as much for her sake as for the mutants’, but, many times, she couldn’t help wondering if she wouldn’t do more good by leaving the team than staying. Her presence was one of the main sources of conflict from the start, she knew, and while her teammates, as the rest of the Avengers, had learned to tolerate her presence and even work together, she knew things would never be like they used to, and very little friendship would ever be found between them.

She was pulled from these thoughts by a hand squeezing her shoulder warmly. “Is everything alright?” Steve Rogers asked her.

Wanda wanted nothing more than to throw herself in his arms and just let him comfort her, like she had done more times than was probably proper in the last few months. Instead, she just gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile and, looking around, replied, “Everything is perfect; Jan definitely outdid herself this year.”

Steve followed her gaze to the artistically decorated room and the many guests. “She most certainly did. I don’t think anyone expected so many Avengers to show up. But I’ve known you long enough to recognize when you’re trying to dodge a question. I mean it, Wanda; are you okay?”

He looked at her with such concern that she had to turn her eyes any other direction. That proved not to be the best choice either, as it landed on Carol, Jessica, Monica and Jennifer laughing in a corner. Wanda felt a strange tightening in her chest, knowing she would never be that close to her old friends again. She didn’t notice a tear had escaped until she felt Steve’s thumb brushing it away, and then he was hugging her. “They will accept you back, Wan–”

“Please, Steve, don’t say that when we both know they won’t”

“ _They will_ , you have to trust me in this. Don’t shake your head, it’s true! All you can notice is their awkwardness and avoidance, but many of them talk to me and, while they are still coming to terms with all that has happened, they love you, Wanda, we all do. When you were gone…” he swallowed, and she buried her face in his neck, struggling with the emotions threatening to overcome her. He began to rub gentle circles on her back and continued. “While you were gone, more frequently than you imagine, we would sit in one of the Tower’s living rooms and reminisce the old days, exchange stories that most of the time included you, and I could see the longing in the others’ eyes. We all missed you, Wanda, believe me.”

“I believe you,” she whispered against his chest. “Just as I believe they would rather I had never returned, so they could only stay with the good memories with no constant reminder of the rest.”

“That’s unfair to them and to yourself and you know it.” He paused. “You know, I don’t think I ever told you that, over time, I have developed an ability to predict the future. Don’t laugh, it’s true! I’m not sure if it’s an unexpected side-effect of the super soldier serum, or if it’s just something that comes with old age, but my predictions have been true more often than not. So it’s not blind optimism that makes me tell you there is a pretty good chance things will get back to normal in 2014.”

“I’m not sure I believe you in that one,” she replied, but she was smiling now, which was good enough for Steve. The band started to play “Fly Me to the Moon”, and the two Avengers barely noticed they had begun to swing to the song. 

“We’ll see. Don’t you trust me?”

“Always.”

They stayed that way for a while, until they heard someone clearing their throat close by, followed by a slightly inebriated, but still cultured voice, “Aw, you two are just adorable! Have you kissed yet, did I miss it?” Janet Van Dyne teased. Her friends blushed and took a step back from each other, but looked at her uncomprehendingly, which was returned by an equally impatient huff from her. “Didn’t you notice where you’re standing?”

They looked around them, until their eyes fell on the mistletoe, hanging just above their heads. _Oh, shit._ Wanda blushed harder, but it was Steve who replied, “Isn’t that only valid on Christmas?”

Janet smirked and readied her phone. “You know very well it isn’t, Cap. Now, will you two just kiss already, so I can get a nice picture for the party album, or will I have to –”

“AVENGERS, ASSEMBLE! THREE MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, EVERYONE! READY YOUR LIPS AND YOUR GLASSES FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF ABUSING THE SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM AND FIGHTING RIDICULOUS BATTLES AGAINST EACH OTHER!” Tony Stark screamed from the stage. Janet immediately forgot about her trapped friends and rejoined the party in preparation for the countdown, leaving Steve and Wanda to stare awkwardly at anything but each other, but they stayed beneath the mistletoe even as they were given new glasses of champagne.

Steve was the first to somewhat recover. “So… I suppose we should…”, he looked above them. “Bad luck, you know.” 

Wanda panicked. “I don’t know. I do manipulate probabilities, after all.” At that, Steve smiled.

“Which would only make this more necessary, I should think.” They grinned at each other as the countdown began. “May I?” Steve asked her, shyly. Wanda nodded. Delicately putting a lock of hair behind her ear, Steve got closer, until their foreheads were touching and his eyelashes were brushing hers.

“… FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!” The others cheered on the background.

“Happy New Year, Wanda.” And he closed the distance between their lips. The kiss lasted long after their fellow Avengers had finished greeting each other and began to dance. They didn’t even notice Janet getting the picture she so wanted, only breaking the kiss to get some air and look at each other’s eyes before resuming it. 

_Maybe he is right,_ Wanda thought. _Maybe 2014 will be a better year after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that, a chapter ending in a positive note?  
> A Happy New Year to all Wanda fans out there! And that Marvel may finally give her some much needed happiness in 2014 (and maybe some much needed Steve, if that’s not asking too much)!


End file.
